The Feast of Dedication--Hanukkah

Did you know Jesus celebrated Hanukkah? I didn't know that before this past few months. It got me thinking.

 In fact there has been a whole strain of events that have gotten me thinking about our relationship to Judaism, the Jews, God's people, and the paths He had them travel in order to both preserve them, sanctify them, relate to them, and ultimately save them. How does this relate to us as believers? Does it relate to us as believers? Is Hanukkah even something we should consider celebrating or is it a tradition of old that doesn't apply to us as Gentile believers?

I'm finding, we are very misinformed or have greatly misunderstood the OT as Modern Christians, and we have lost so many of the beautiful feasts and festivals God put into place to create pictures of His greatness and His ultimate provision of Salvation.

 As a Gentile believer I have been grafted into the Salvation intended and planned for the Jews. God has adopted me into His Chosen People. How beautiful. And, if that is so, why then would I put to rest the traditions and celebrations God laid out in scripture for His People? Rather, I contend we should have adopted them and incorporated them into our worship.

 Although we are no longer under the Law, because Jesus came to fulfill it, we can practice the law along with the feasts and festivals in order to Worship the still, unchanged, Magnificent God. The same God who pursued and preserved the Jews, displaying for them His great Love through feasts, festivals, traditions, and practices.

So, we come to Hanukkah. It is just one of the first of the Judaic celebrations we've sought to know more about.

It is the Feast of Dedication, put into place about 160 years before Jesus. Fulfilling prophecy laid out in Daniel.   It is a festival of lighting candles for eight days to remember the dedication of the temple and the relighting of the lampstand which God commanded should never go out (Exodus 27:20-21).

Judah the Hammer set out with an Army (the Freedom Fighters) to defeat Antiochus Epiphanies. Antiochus Epiphanies ruled over Israel and commanded all Jews to renounce their way of life, practice pagan observances, and live like the Greeks. He erected the "abomination of desolation" in the temple. Thus defiling the temple God had built and persecuting the rights of the Jews to obey God's law.

Many Jews turned their back on their God to avoid persecution from Antiochus, but some stood firm, facing death, death of their children, and their families in order to stand against Antiochus. Judah the Hammer, a priest, and his family led the war against Antiochus Epiphanies defeating them only through God's perfect strength and will.

We don't face being killed for our faith today. But, we do face subtle indoctrination to succumb to the Satan's plans and give in to humanist, progressive ideology. Will we be those who give in or will we have courage, individually and as families. to stand for God, even if no one else is standing?

Once Judah the Hammer defeated Antiochus, they went to restore and rebuild the Temple, set into place the altars God had designed, and found 1 cruse of oil.  Traditionally 1 cruse of oil would only last 1 day, but in this case God provided yet another miracle and the light lasted 8 days while they rebuilt and rededicated the temple to their One True God.

As the Jews move through the 8 days of Hanukkah they remember God's ever faithfulness and the dedication of the Temple, the significance of the Light, and the Temple.

As we (Christians) move through the 8 days, lighting the candles, placing the light in the window, and remembering Gods preservation and salvation of the Jews and the dedication of His people, we can see a completeness to the picture through Christ.

We can see Jesus as the Light, the resurrected Temple, our own bodies as the Temple of the Spirit and the fulfillment of this picture by Jesus the Messiah and His death on the Cross.  We can see the need and desire to rededicate ourselves to Him each day, each season, and the value of the practices laid out by God as a beautifully painted picture of His Grace, Mercy, Love, and Atonement.  We see evidence of God through the Jewish People.  Through the preservation of the promise, the Covenant, and we, as Christians, get to partake in this Covenant with His people.

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A great little snippet from Above Rubies:
Jesus Christ, the Son of God was never reticent to speak the truth, even in the face of death. When he came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, he was walking in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him. 

Jesus knew the Jews would be remembering more than the rededication of the temple and the lighting of the

 Menorah again. They were remembering the great victory over Antiochus Epiphanes, but also how he lifted himself to be god over them. It was Antiochus himself who added "Epiphanes" to his name, which means "God manifest" which was utter blasphemy to the Jews.

In the midst of this thinking Jesus boldly and publically declared, "I and my Father are one (John 10:30). In other words, He confessed that He was God, which of course, He was! This was too much for the Jews who, remembering Antiochus Epiphanes the evil blasphemer, took up stones to stone him (John 10:22-33).

It was no coincidence that Jesus chose this timing to speak these words. Everything about Hanukah speaks of standing up for truth even in the face of danger.

God no longer lives in the Holy of Holies in the temple, but in our bodies, which are the temple of His Holy Spirit. In fact, we are not just the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the "naos" which is the Holy of Holies (1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16). What an indescribable truth! 

Our "naos" may not be desolate, but it is very easy for us to allow things to come into our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit and spoil and dirty our temple.

It is a lovely idea to have a rededication of our temples one night during Hanukah. Choose which morning or evening you would like to do together as a family. Explain to your children about it, and then ask each one of them to confess to the Lord anything in their lives that grieves the Holy Spirit and to rededicate their body temple to the Lord. This includes mom and dad too, of course. When we have all dedicated ourselves individually, then the father can rededicate the whole family to be living sacrifice to the Lord and to be set apart for His purposes (Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily as you experience this dedication service in your home. 

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Scriptures for Hanukkah
Day 1
God is the Source of Light
Genesis 1:3-5
Exodus 27:20-21, cf. Leviticus 24:1-4
Psalm 36:9
John 10:22-33
Matthew 6:22-23

Day 2Jesus is the Light of the World
John 1:4-9
John 3:19-21
John 8:12
John 12:44-46

Day 3
Shine your Light
Proverbs 4:18
Isaiah 58:6-8, 10
Isaiah 60:1-2
Matthew 5:14-16
Philippians 2:14-15

Day 4
The Word of God is our Light
Psalm 19:7-11
Psalm 119:105, 130
Proverbs 6:20-24
Ephesians 1:17-18

Day 5
Walk in the Light
Isaiah 2:5
1 John 1:6-9
1 John 2:8-11
Romans 13:12-14
Ephesians 5:8-20

Day 6
We are to be a Great Light
Psalm 18:28
Isaiah 9:2, cf. Matthew 4:12-17
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
1 Peter 2:9

Day 7
God is my Light
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 37:3-6
Psalm 89:15-16
Psalm 112:4
Micah 7:8
Acts 26:18

Day 8
God is the Light of Heaven
Isaiah 24:23
Isaiah 60:19-20
Revelation 21:22-25
Revelation 22:3-5

10 Reasons We Don't Do Santa

I know this will be a controversial post, I've been feeling the need to write it but avoiding the potential for "haters" to comment. It seems in the current world of Facebook and Social Media, people immediately think you must be talking to them, specifically, when you post something in direct opposition to their personal feelings. It was amusing to see this reaction on a recent post by Above Rubies as she discussed the research showing that women are now ovulating about 400 times in their lives vs. 100 times when birth rates were once higher and nursing was once the only source of feeding an infant. That is for another day, but the implication that women ought to be nursing longer, birthing more often and lowering ovulation (which has shown to reduce many female diseases) seemed to set an uproar among the women who found themselves to be the exception to every possible scenario that would make doing the above "impossible." So, in an effort to post about Santa and the personal convictions myself and my husband have developed for our family, I do not desire to hear every scenario in opposition to our opinion that would exempt readers from feeling convicted about doing the same. My post is in love, in the spirit of sharing, and in an effort to draw us back to the heart of the matter. I am by no means, elevating myself or my family, but rather sharing a piece of our life with you and our heart on the matter. Whew! now that we have that out of the way...let's get to it. 10 Reasons We Don't Do Santa 1. It offers a false responsibility to obey and behave. Talk about manipulation. 2. It provides a false root to the spirit of JOY concerning Christmas. Is Christmas Joyful b/c of Santa or because of our Savior's Birth? 3. It encourages Materialism. When we so desperately attempt to re-focus Christmas on the Christ, we still instill a "gimme" attitude and an essence of asking for gifts. 4. It is deceiving and a lie, yet we teach our children NOT to lie. We become hypocrites making exceptions for the lie. 5. It causes a sense of "stress" concerning kids finding out the truth, by whom and when and keeping up the facade. 6. It distracts from real "imagination" and "exploration" for children in which they learn to understand it isn't real, only fun. 7. It can stir our faith in more than just Santa...if Santa isn't real, is Jesus real? 8. It offers no value to the intended Christmas Experience. My children still get super excited about Christmas, the presents (all 3 they get), the anticipation, the food, the family, and we are able to spend WAYY more time on Jesus. 9. Celebrating it is not Redeeming it. To see what I mean about redeeming it, click here to read Mark Driscoll's take on Redeeming Santa. 10. It can become Pagan, irreligious or religious in it's own right, consuming. We never say it's bad to believe in Santa, in fact they know some people who do and they know not to ruin for them if they can help it. We have told them about St. Nicholas and giving gifts to the children. It's all just fun, but NOT REAL. I wanted to put the 10 points above first in case as a reader you decide you don't want to continue. But, below I offer up a discussion on the real roots of Christmas, and the possibility that no matter how hard we try, because we do try, to make Christmas about Jesus' birth, it really, actually, Just ISN'T. So, if you are interested in learning a little bit more about why creating pagan customs such as Santa (pagan simply meaning not rooted in Christ or the things of the One True God) continue reading below. It's fascinating stuff. I recently read a wonderfully written, well researched, extremely historical yet sensitive article by Tim Hegg titled, "Why I Don't Celebrate Christmas." He is a Christian and began doing research on the true nature of the holiday and what it really is about. Granted, us modern day Christians, myself included, have found great ways to attempt to draw Christmas back to be being about CHRIST. We focus on His Birth, the symbolism we can find within the traditions such as the Star being the star that let the Shepherds by night, the Tree representing Christ Body as the Tree of Life, atoned upon the Tree, you get the picture. We too have incorporated into Christmas wherever possible elements of the true beauty of the season as it is centered upon the Messiah. But, the reality I am finding is that we cannot escape the actual history behind the holiday and it's very real connections with Paganism and the cover-up we've not been exposed to for many decades. I say all this to set up the fact that the aspect of Santa, falls right into this facade that is Christmas. (I love Christmas, I seek to create memories, traditions, to instill JOY into the hearts of my children, to GIVE to those less fortunate, and to connect with the ones I love). But, Christmas is deceivingly not of God. In fact, not once, in the Bible do they mention Christ's actual birthday. It is no where to be found. The earliest believers never once celebrated the BIRTH of the Messiah. It mattered not. Luke only mentions Christ was born in the 15th year of the Reign of Tiberius. No month, no day. The day of Christ's baptism on the other hand...specific. January 6th is known as the Epiphany. Celebrating Christ's birth only became an issue when the church set out in the fourth century (about 400 years after his birth) to establish Dec. 25th as the date of his birth. In fact, there wasn't even a consensus of that Day, rather the day was chosen then the Math was constructed to make it fit. It is much more likely to be in May. What really happened was this: The century was challenging Christ's Humanity and Deity and it was being challenged with many Pagan celebrations. The Virgin Birth became the obvious point that needed to be stressed to combat the Arian Heresy. Also, the expanding Church had become predominately Gentile and the effects of paganism were very heavy within the "community of the faithful". Gentiles, untrained in Scripture, brought many pagan customs and ideas into the church. It is no surprise that Dec. 25th was chosen considering it is also the date of many other pagan festivals. Most significantly the Roman festival of Brumalia (Saturnalia), the celebration of Mithra, and the Soltice as well as Dies Natalis Invicti Solis (A Roman Pagan Holiday). The Church essentially used Christmas to replace Pagan holidays and festivals and is noted in History by Bishop of Constantinople in 398CE. The list grows as we explore the Pagan festivals the Church was attempting to compete with. Many historians believe the Church's plan was to provide a substitute for the pagan holidays. Unfortunately, what happened was that the church began to incorporate many pagan customs within this attempt. Some of those Pagan Customs we see in Christmas are: 1. Decorating with Evergreens 2. the Tree (used to placate the gods) 3. Holly Berries 4. Mistletoe 5. Yule Logs Pope Gregory I wrote in a letter to Augustine permitting and even encouraging harmless, popular, pagans customs as they were capable of Christian interpretation (twisting). We can read though, very specifically in God's word what he has to say about mixing Pagan rituals with our faith. He SET APART the Sabbath, the Jews (his Chosen People), He called things HOLY (set apart), God preserves nations, peoples, forbids mixing, He sanctifies. In the giving of the TORAH, God made is repeatedly clear not to mix differing things, crops, cloth, animals, etc. The language expresses God's utter hatred for mixing . Deuteronomy 18:9, "When you enter the land which ADONAI your God gives you, your shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations."..."In order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against ADONAI, your God." Deuteronomy 20:18 This is called Syncretism and it means to attempt to union or reconcile divers or opposite tenets or practices, especially in philosophy and religion. In short, mixing things that do not go together Paganism and Christianity. They refurbished symbols, customs and rituals from Godless practices. All this being said, I know as Christians we do not set out to mix pagan rituals with Christian faith. But, we have been deceived if we believe these pagan offerings actually are fit before our King. It may not be our heart to offer such things before Him but we do so unknowingly. Those things born of pagan birth are most likely still considered demonic to the spiritual world. We are in an age when, as the believers of the true Messiah, we ought to shine distinctively, not adopt pagan customs and blend in with materialistic self indulgence and perpetuate lies to children.

Why we are Choosing to Celebrate Shabbat

We were recently inspired by some friends of ours concerning the celebration of Shabbat. They were kind enough to invite us all over for the tradition they have been participating in for over 15 years.

For some time now I have been feeling a tugging to learn more about the Torah, the Jews, God's Chosen, and the Feasts and Festivals He called His people to participate within. To study the deep significant of the OT in a way I haven't before. Knowing full well that elements of each feast and festival represented deep truths related to His divinity and His Character as well as His purpose for His people.

I feel that as modern day Christians we have abandoned our true place as Gentiles, grafted in to the Jewish covenant through Jesus. This somehow has translated into us developing our own traditions for the church, it's people, and we have left behind the traditions and remembrances God first called His Chosen people to participate within.

Each of them displaying important factors of His Will and Purpose and who He wills for us to be with Him. Modern Christian has moved past the Torah b/c they see that Christ fulfilled the Law, but then we sacrifice so many of the blessings God wanted to poor out on us through the OT pictures, practices, and traditions. The idea is that we are not celebrating Jewish festivals and feasts but rather God's.

Just because the Jews have failed to see Jesus as the true Messiah, does not mean the feasts and festivals were in vain and have lost their meaning. In fact, through Jesus we can see the true significance and the picture of ultimate Grace found within them fulfilled through Jesus.

shab·bat 
/SHäˈbät/ 
  
The Jewish Sabbath 

For six days you may perform melachah, but the seventh day is a complete Sabbath, holy to the L-RD ... it is an eternal sign that in six days, the L-RD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. Exodus 31:15-17 

The word Shabbat is used to reference both the meal we share as a family as we usher in the Sabbath on Friday night to Remember, and the day of rest on Saturday to Observe the only thing in Creation the Lord called Holy.

Even more significant to us as Christians, grafted in to the Jews promise and covenant by God, as Gentiles, we experience the fullness of the Lord's will as He laid out the feasts and festivals for His Chosen People, because we know Jesus became the fullness of His Will.

There are two important parts of Shabbat: To Remember and Observe.
 

Remember:
To remember God is the creator of both the heavens and the earth and all living things.
To remember the freedom found through the Exodus.

We do this through the Shabbat meal, which has several parts, to usher in the Sabbath day.

Observe:
To refrain from "typical work" or labor and strain.
To observe the day as Holy unto the Lord and spend time together as a family, in joy and celebration, without the pressures of our "typical" behaviors and responsibilities.
To spend time in His word.

To spend time in Prayer.

We do this through the day of Rest as the Lord first displayed and modeled for us.

The Meal:
There are several movements of tradition as we move throughout the meal time, to mark and remember both God's creation and His provision both through the Exodus and through Christ the Savior. Each of them has a Hebrew prayer to usher in the next tradition, and is greatly grounded in Jewish purpose.
1. Washing of hands--we wash away the icky feelings from the week, forgive and renew.

2.Charity--we give of our abundance to those less fortunate, into a Charity box, which we hold until the time comes in which another's need arises.

3. Approaching the table for prayer, then lighting the candles to usher in the Sabbath (done by the woman of the home). 1 Candle represents Remembering the other Observing.

4.The taking of the wine--The Abundance of God's provisions poured out to us, also the blood of Christ provided to us as atonement for sin.

5.The breaking of the braided bread (Challah) with Salt--The provision of the Man-nah in the Exodus, 2 loaves on Friday, by God along with Christ's body, broken for us. The Salt is a symbol that it never goes bad or rots, it preserves.

6.The Father blesses each child of the family and then reads a blessing over his wife.

7.We say a final prayer, ending with saying loudly "Shabbot Shalom".

8.We engage in our family meal, giving everyone the opportunity to share about their week (High's of the week).

9.We discuss God's abundant blessings both in the OT and the New and how it relates to us as Christians in the light of being grafted into the Jews Chosen Position with the Lord. How this then implies what our true traditions, celebrations and remembrances should be.

10. Lighting of the candles on Saturday to Usher our the Darkness and bring in the Light. Both the light of provision in darkness given to the Jews upon the Exile, the Light given upon Creation and the Light given in Jesus Christ. Moving through these prayers, traditions and sharing in the markers to remember God and our Savior now as the fulfillment of the Law, we are blessed and reminded of God's character, love, provision, plan, and our position in Him.

Below I pasted some information about Shabbat from a Jewish website. There is tons of information available.

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The Nature of Shabbat

The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits. In Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen, as in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath] bride). It is said "more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel." Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments.

In modern America, we take the five-day work-week so much for granted that we forget what a radical concept a day of rest was in ancient times. The weekly day of rest has no parallel in any other ancient civilization. In ancient times, leisure was for the wealthy and the ruling classes only, never for the serving or laboring classes. In addition, the very idea of rest each week was unimaginable. The Greeks thought Jews were lazy because we insisted on having a "holiday" every seventh day. Shabbat involves two interrelated commandments: to remember (zakhor) Shabbat, and to observe (shamor) Shabbat.

Zakhor: To Remember

Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it (Hebrew: Zakhor et yom ha-Shabbat l'kad'sho)-Exodus 20:8

We are commanded to remember Shabbat; but remembering means much more than merely not forgetting to observe Shabbat. It also means to remember the significance of Shabbat, both as a commemoration of creation and as a commemoration of our freedom from slavery in Egypt
In Exodus 20:11, after Fourth Commandment is first instituted, G-d explains, "because for six days, the L-rd made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day, he rested; therefore, the L-rd blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it." By resting on the seventh day and sanctifying it, we remember and acknowledge that G-d is the creator of heaven and earth and all living things. We also emulate the divine example, by refraining from work on the seventh day, as G-d did. If G-d's work can be set aside for a day of rest, how can we believe that our own work is too important to set aside temporarily? In Deuteronomy 5:15, while Moses reiterates the Ten Commandments, he notes the second thing that we must remember on Shabbat: "remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the L-rd, your G-d brought you forth from there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore the L-rd your G-d commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." What does the Exodus have to do with resting on the seventh day? It's all about freedom. As I said before, in ancient times, leisure was confined to certain classes; slaves did not get days off. Thus, by resting on Shabbat, we are reminded that we are free. But in a more general sense, Shabbat frees us from our weekday concerns, from our deadlines and schedules and commitments. During the week, we are slaves to our jobs, to our creditors, to our need to provide for ourselves; on Shabbat, we are freed from these concerns, much as our ancestors were freed from slavery in Egypt.

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As believers we get to also remember the freedom given in Christ from sin, through the Cross. We are given the gift of experiencing the fullness of the message God prepared for the Jews through the atonement of Christ, the Son of God. How much more do we see the full beauty and the experience the completeness of God's perfect will?

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Shamor: To Observe

Observe the Sabbath day to sanctify it (Hebrew: Shamor et yom ha-Shabbat l'kad'sho)-Deuteronomy 5:12

Of course, no discussion of Shabbat would be complete without a discussion of the work that is forbidden on Shabbat. This is another aspect of Shabbat that is grossly misunderstood by people who do not observe it. Most Americans see the word "work" and think of it in the English sense of the word: physical labor and effort, or employment. Under this definition, turning on a light would be permitted, because it does not require effort, but would not be permitted to lead Shabbat services, because leading services is his employment. Jewish law prohibits the former and permits the latter. Many Americans therefore conclude that Jewish law doesn't make any sense. The problem lies not in Jewish law, but in the definition that Americans are using. The Torah does not prohibit "work" in the 20th century English sense of the word. The Torah prohibits "melachah" Mem-Lamed-Alef-Kaf-Hei, which is usually translated as "work," but does not mean precisely the same thing as the English word. Before you can begin to understand the Shabbat restrictions, you must understand the word "melachah." Melachah generally refers to the kind of work that is creative, or that exercises control or dominion over your environment. The word may be related to "melekh" Mem-Lamed-Kaf. The quintessential example of melachah is the work of creating the universe, which G-d ceased from on the seventh day. Note that G-d's work did not require a great physical effort: he spoke, and it was done. The word melachah is rarely used in scripture outside of the context of Shabbat and holiday restrictions. The only other repeated use of the word is in the discussion of the building of the sanctuary and its vessels in the wilderness. Exodus Ch. 31, 35-38. Notably, the Shabbat restrictions are reiterated during this discussion (Ex. 31:13), thus we can infer that the work of creating the sanctuary had to be stopped for Shabbat.

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As believers we can see and often hear that Jesus has fulfilled the Law and we are not bound to the same observances as the Jews were in the OT. Although, this may be true, there are fabulous blessings available when we honor the things the Lord has set out to honor and those things Jesus himself honored, being the Messiah.
We may not see or interpret the word "work" the same considering we no longer build sanctuary's or temples, but, we can see in our busy modern lives the need to honor the Lord's day of rest. He called in Holy. When we do so, we enjoy both a sense of accomplishment from preparing for Shabbat throughout the week and then rest when we spend the day Observing the Lord's perfect picture painted through the OT, which displays His Character, beauty, authority and governing over the Earth.
For our family we see a handful of blessings being offered by getting back to the feasts and festivals, specifically Shabbat, the Lord laid out for us, as Gentiles, adopted into His Chosen People.

1. A weekly family time of Remembrance and Observance which displays for us both God's divine nature and provision along with Christ's fulfillment of the Lord's will.

2.Tradition which offers teaching and instructing in the ways of God's people, which connects us more closely with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

3. Spending the week with Intentionality to draw in the Shabbat meal on Friday night and the day of rest on Saturday. We must be more diligent as a family to prepare to experience Shabbat together.
4. Keeping my family coming together on a regular basis, hopefully as they grow, and possibly leave home. Establishing a tradition they look forward to and enjoy so they too will bring their families over once they grow.

5. An opportunity to teach reverence and respect for the Lord's Holy things. To dress up in honor of Him. To act out of love for him.

We do not see celebrating Shabbat weekly as an act of obedience or religiousness that earns favor with God, but rather out of our deep love for Him and His Son Jesus, displaying our respect for the days He designed and remarked in scripture as significant and Holy. It is an act of Love. A reverence of the fulfillment of the Saviors sacrifice in light of the picture God was painting from the beginning.

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Ebay is a great place to purchase the items you would need/desire to celebrate the meal time (Challah (bread) cover, candlesticks, Handwashing Cup, Charity Box, Bread plates, Wine Fountains, etc.).

   

Making Much of Him

I've started reading John Piper's "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ." It's been a joy to read, and I'm not a reader. It has refreshed my soul. In Chapter Two he writes, "Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him." That is a powerful statement. To ENJOY MAKING MUCH OF HIM. Not just to make much of Him but to ENJOY it. Whoa... Just let that one sink in. For "old", "long time" believers like myself I often find that I forget about the most basic, wonderful, joyful part of following Christ is the opportunity to be Satisfied in HIM (this is a common, well-known remark of Piper's, "He is most glorified in us when we are satisfied in HIM.") Satisfied in HIM...Making much of HIM...Enjoying making much of HIM... Piper states, Christ is not glorious so that we get wealthy or healthy. Christ is glorious so that rich or poor, sick or sound, we might be satisfied in him. An important thing as believers, although some "Christian" religions do not agree on this issue, is Christ's eternal, original existence. "Christ never became or developed. He simply was." Some may argue the significance of Christ origin, deity vs. human, eternal vs. created. It is on this very foundation in which we develop our view of God/Christ and salvation. If we do not believe Jesus is eternal and endless we cannot then be sanctified by his sacrifice. It changes the very nature of all things biblical and the trustworthiness of the God's word. This eternal being of God (Christ) is the basis of Yahweh, "to be". A perfect reference to God (Christ's) absolute nature is Isaiah 43:10 and Isaiah 44:6. In the two verses above we see God talking, calling himself the Alpha and Omega. In Revelation 22:12-13, 16 and John 8:58 we hear Jesus also calling himself the Alpha and Omega and "I am". If we believe that either verse is true and the Bible is completely God's infallible word (no matter the translation, b/c translation does not mean it goes from Hebrew to Italian to English, rather directly from Hebrew to English, or Hebrew to Italian, etc. so there is no loss in translation, especially since we have the original language, Hebrew and Greek alive and well), we must believe both verses are true. If one is a lie the whole Bible is called into question which then calls into questions Jesus' death and resurrection. The only conclusion is that... God has always been. Jesus has always been and the two are ONE. If God has always been and His glory is magnified through me, to enjoy making MUCH of HIM...I must consider seriously the deep importance of not mixing up the order of things. To make more of myself, to take Glory in myself as a believer, to confuse and believe the LIE that God's purpose is to glorify me, rather than ME glorify Him...I will never fully enjoy the plunder of being satisfied in Him. "To feast on this forever (God's Glory), is the aim of our being created and our being redeemed."

Things to Remember When Times Seem Tough

‎"Much of what God allows in your life is not for you to simply accept, but to get you to rise up! God wants you to know how to wield the weapons of warfare, how to take a stand, and how to fight." -Captivating


‎"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." -Romans 15:4


‎"God's version of flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies; warm wind, swaying trees, lush gardens, and fierce devotion.....He knows what takes your breath away, knows what makes your heart beat faster. We have missed many of His notes simply because we shut our hearts down in order to endure the pain of life. Now, in our healing journey as women, we must open our hearts again, and keep them open. Not foolishly, not to anyone and anything. But yes, we must choose to open our hearts again so that we might hear His whispers, receive His kisses." (Captivating)


Now, Jesus said, don't you think God cares just a little bit more for you than the birds of the air? "Are you not much more valuable than they?"(Matt. 6:26). Indeed, you are. You, dear heart, are the crown of creation, His glorious image bearer. And He will do everything it takes to rescue you and set your heart free. (Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge)


 Don't be decieved. "Satan is the one keeping you in bondage. He is the one who has done these things in order to prevent your restoration. He fears who you are; what you might become." Don't believe the lies...believe the Truth.

Sharpening the Arrows

By God's grace their hearts are filled, their minds growing in capacity and their souls enriched through the learning taking place...

in a small room, in our average house, equipped with the Sword and the hearts of those who have treaded before me and put their lessons to paper creating a place at which I can somehow, reach and instruct...

we are only 3 rugged weeks into daily picking up our crosses, putting on patience and love with discipline closely knit to my side, and putting pens to paper and ears that hear onto our heads so that we might school at home...

Not just the sharpening of children but me...my ears that hear them, a heart that feels them, and eyes that see their needs (they are not always academic needs during academic times)...

The refining and the sharpening of these arrows sharpens me as well...

The soul of a mother, often broken and lost but forever coming back to the Savior and the man he gave me to pull me through...

Oh, how I need him, the one God sent to me. His encouragement, his embrace, his love, his understanding and the victory he sees...my partner in this journey, the travels of the Christian life...

when my knees are lowly bent asking for resolve as we train up, school up, and bring up these blessings...

In His Holy Word, they are always God's blessing, a reward to His people, a sign of great wealth in the Lord...

I shall not take it lightly...Lord remind me daily... 



The arrows that start out dull with only a hint of purpose must be daily sharpened that they might fight the war waged between the spirit and the world...

They cannot sharpen themselves in order that they be at the ready...they must intentionally be made equipped, showing the marks of the sharpening, glistening in the sun light as a warning of their ever ready blade...

Psalm 45:

Thine arrows sharpened are,

Men under Thee to bring,

To pierce the heart of enemies

Who fight against the King.

Today, yesterday, tomorrow...they are just the beginning of this adventure of schooling at home...

I am confident it will be difficult, I will be tired, at times wanting to quit, but the reward of the sharpening keeps me forging on...

to continue sharpening the arrows even when the battles victory seems distant...

for them....
for me....
for Him...

For God is the craftsman placing the arrows the hands of those He's called, to form them, sharpen them, give them the PURPOSE He has called them to.  He equips the guilder with the tools they will need to sharpen each arrow for it's unique purpose.  God then takes up His bow, the war is being waged even among those things unseen.  He loosely grips the sharpened arrow and employs it purpose in His calling, in His kingdom. As the arrow dulls he again and again calls upon the guilder to refine and continue the sharpening process.  These actions are almost happening simultaneously as the craftsman takes up His bow and the guilder sharpens the arrows.  Without God as the Archer the battle will not be won. Without the guilder to sharpen the arrows the battle can never begin.

My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.  For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light. Proverbs 6

Sacred Groves

My husband, Justin asked me to share this video on our blog. He said it really captures his heart about his journey to knowing Jesus Christ.

Faithfullness

I've been considering the ways in which God is faithful to me.  I can reflect back and see the path he scored for me even in the wandering and questioning.  God is so faithful. 

In our culture definition Faith is:
Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, cause, or idea; loyal..

 

In II Timothy 3:1-5, the apostle Paul describes the spirit of people at the end of the age:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

This blows my mind. Our God is so faithful to US how can we be so quick to turn on Him?  Then I realize...this is what I see in my children.  Not intentional wickedness but RAW!  They are naturally unthankful, unloving, unforgiving, without self control, headstrong, disobedient to parents, lovers of themselves...the list continues.  

They seem to be a picture of what all mankind will be like in the last days...a foreshadowing of how raw and simply broken we are. 

In the same way we train our children, draw out of them the sin and pour into them the Love of Jesus and the fruit of His spirit so they might shed this exact list of sin above...Christ too pours into us. Drawing out of us our sinful nature and replacing it, little by little sometimes, with Him.

He is FAITHFUL!

I found these comments upon faithfulness:

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Paul lists nineteen characteristics, with "lovers of themselves" and "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" serving as bookends containing the others within them. How can a person be faithful to God when he loves himself more than God? How can a person be faithful to God when his own gratification means more to him than pleasing God? How can a person be faithful if he is a headstrong, haughty slanderer and traitor who is disobedient to parents, greedy, unloving and without self-control?
When counseling a person for baptism, the ministry almost always takes him through Luke 14:26, where Jesus states unequivocally,

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [love less] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

Faithfulness hinges upon what we value as important combined with commitment. Humans have a powerful tendency to be faithful to what they think is truly important, be it a family name, spouse, friendship, employer, school, athletic team or even certain things like a make of automobile.

---

Faithfulness hinges upon what we value as important combined with commitment....WOW! This is amazing.

God loves me so much and has such an awesome plan for me that He has been committed to me even when my heart is far and my sin is raw, like a child.  His value for me is high.

When something is of value to us it becomes worthy of our time, efforts, affection, and pursuit.  We, like God being made in His image, are maneuvered by those things of value to us.

---

The meaning to us is clear. We must love Christ supremely, or we do not love Him much if at all. If we are not willing to give up all earthly possessions, forsake all earthly friends, and obey Him above all others—including our own carnal desires—to be faithful to Him, our attachment to Him is tenuous at best.

---

Through our steadfast devotion, faithfulness, to Christ we will then be a foreshadowing of His love for us to others.  To be men who are reliable, faithful.

---

In his commentary on Galatians, William Barclay writes, "This word (pistis) is common in secular Greek for trustworthiness. It is the characteristic of the man who is reliable" (p. 51).

Other synonyms include dedicated, steadfast, devoted, dependable, accurate, true, conscientious, dutiful, careful, scrupulous and thorough.

---

Prayer:

Lord, help me to see your faithfulness to me. To see that you value me above all things that you would be mindful of my life, its coarse and your will in it.  Help me to follow your footsteps and be a person of faithfulness. To be reliable, steadfast, dependable, true...that I then might too draw people to you. That I might also draw my children to you. That I might show them your faithfulness so they in turn would know of your unfailing vlue on their lives.  That they would follow you with a steadfast love. That they would not fall victim to those sinful natures above but rather put them off to put you on!

Amen

Thirst

Out to Pasture...in with Simplicity

It is no secret that I have long dreamed of moving our family somewhere less "city" like and more "farm" like. Although I do not foresee myself as a farmers wife per say, in the traditional way, I desire for our children and our family to experience a simpler life; a life more focused on Him.  I want our life to be physically more Organic and spiritually more Organic.

I'm not sure why I think being away from the city would provide a greater opportunity to spend time with and grow in the Lord as a family, but I do.  We don't even really live in the hustle and the bustle of typical "city" life.  But, we do not live in the "country" where my children would have more responsibilities and our life would be harder work which builds more character.

I often imagine being in the "country" to instill in my children a greater compass for life.  It gives roots, direction, and a source of Love to call home.



So in my dream we have some acreage, space to grow and play and make memories together.  We can plant a large garden, own some chickens, goats, and maybe a horse.  I would love to have a horse.  Lots of green grass and tall trees.  A simple yet large enough house to home school and be together as a large family. In my dream we get to drench our children with God's majesty and grace and show them how to live a life less cluttered and full of hard, rewarding work.

 

I desire for my children to learn responsibility, respect for hard work, training for good character and working with their hands.  I want them to appreciate caring for something, providing for something beyond themselves, and serving one another. I desire for them to have a strong sense of direction and purpose with One True North.

Then God reminds me, with a sweet whisper, that it begins with me, here.  Location can often provide greater opportunity but I must equip them in these things regardless of location.  I must turn their hearts towards Him in our present moment with our present pasture and find the blessings they ought to appreciate here in this place.  That I would find our way to the lessons the farm would give.

I need to be a shepherd here not wait till then.

I hear God's words to me as He speaks about sheep:

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." --Isaiah 40:11

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." --John 10:14

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." --John 10:11

I think about my dream. I feel God has placed it into my mind.  I can see my children laughing, playing, growing, loving, serving, worshiping...I'm driven back to the present and hear God calling to me...

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." --Psalm 37:3

Through prayer and the softly spoken words of Mark Hamby I realized something wonderful today:
The dream, a new pasture, a yearning placed into my heart by God, is not yet fulfilled but has much to teach me. The things I desire from the "location" can begin here in this, current "pasture".  I MUST plant, nourish, and prepare my children here...now...in this place. I MUST learn how to clothe myself in Compassion here...now...in this place.  I have MUCH to learn here before we might go there, if God ever places us there.  The dream gives way to the vision of the life I desire to give my children but it is not about "location", it is about Who we Follow and What we live for.

God places us in charge over the planting but He does the growing.

"Growing things is God's business" ~Hamby

Compassion in the greek means: safe, protective and full of nourishment. As a noun it literally means "womb".

"A more specialized but common Hebrew word that yields compassion as a translation is râcham (H7355). On eight occasions this word is rendered compassion and on seven of those it describes God having compassion upon his people; on the eighth it describes a woman’s relationship to her son as an illustration of God’s relationship to his people...The noun in the singular literally refers to a womb"

In order to touch their hearts for Him, in any place or time (this pasture or the next), I must exemplify Compassion and speak to their hearts.  New Compassions each morning.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-23

I must be like God's compassion with them, my family.  I need to put aside my crazy, perfectionist, controlling tendencies and cover them in Compassion each day.  New, unrelenting, forgiving Compassion.  His Compassion. 

Like the womb, nurturing, warm, protective, drawing them near and building them up!

 

That this would be the beginning of the Growing God would do in their lives. Safe, protective and full of nourishment.

I pray that in my diligence to plant them "here" in this pasture God might hear my cries to one day raise them up in a "new" pasture.  That we would live a life of simplicity in a place with room to run and Grow.

God is

Staying Attached to the Vine

I feel the pull, the long, slowly strengthening stretch of the devil pulling me from the Vine.  Days are long, nights sometimes longer, and there is much demand and bustle through the days. The sun seems to stay long in the sky sometimes and others it sets too quickly and I know another day has slipped away...

He grows in strength as I ignore the pulling. It gives him satisfaction that I've avoided the struggle.  It is only God's grace that keeps me attached to the Vine. He supernaturally holds me tight to His strengths supported by the roots of being God and having divine power over him, the smaller, weaker one. I often even avoid saying his name (the devil).  It is His strength that keeps me strong for my own strength quivers under pressure and often lets go.

I forget to pray today for my children and my husband, one of my goals to forming a new habit this year and the seed of failure sets in. he (the devil) tells me I am not worthy, I'm too busy, and if I'm not perfect I must not deserve it, I can't do it.

He's been whispering that to me my whole life. Perfection deserves and failure, inconsistency, does not.  I feel him pulling me from the Vine. He had Victory for a moment in regards to Colossians in a Year. I failed to memorize God's word. I tried and tried and I couldn't tuck it into my brain.  What has come easily before slipped right out from under me. I would read and read and yet not retain. Slipping, slipping...

Imperfection...

It is easier to let it go and pretend I never tried then to try and fail.  But, I realize the moment that matters in now.

Read
Read
Read
Learn
Meditate
Pray
Pray
Pray

Does it matter that I can't memorize or matter that I breath His word into my life? That He becomes the breaths I take...
I want to breath...breath YHWH
Hear Him breath words of Life into me
Feel Him near

Life doesn't seem to go nearly as well without Him near

So, I begin again.  Praying for my children, praying for my husband, taking the time, breathing the breaths of life, speaking the words that build others up.
Prayer
And I read....read Colossians from the beginning.  Start Anew
The moment is now...
new habits draw nearer...



And I want to be attached to the Vine.  To be fed, nourished, held close, and protected by the Life that comes from the Vine.

[In] the whole of world history there is always only one really significant hour — the present…
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Expanding Universe

It is almost more than I could ever imagine to understand or explain. God created geniuses for this kind of thing and that is not my design nor my calling in life. But, I think we are called to seek the massive complexity and majesty of God that we might be humbled with faith and riddled with peace in the utter expansiveness that is our God.

Have you ever considered the Universe?

This is just one galaxy in the universe. Sparkling with stars, planets, suns, moons, and intense design from our Creator.  Spiral genius stretched out across the sky to show just how GREAT our God is.


We know God made All things. "In the Beginning God created the HEAVENS and the EARTH."  He is beyond the Universe.  Incredible.  I recently watched a You Tube clip with top Cosmologists who can now look at the Universe with cameras and equipment far surpassing ever before.  They realize now that the Universe is stretching (just as God stated He stretched out the Universe) and it is so complex and particular that everything seems placed with design rather than random happenstance.  This from what seemed to be secular cosmologists although not confirmed, but they knew the universe could not be random.

I then read in On Guard that the chances of everything being right where it is with the precision of producing life on Earth is 10(10)power(123)power.  Penrose calculated this and it is so vast we could not even write it.  It is far beyond what they consider a mathematically impossible probability, which is 10(50)power.  This of course being only one reason life without God is impossible.


Then there is the Goldilocks zone in which our Planet experiences in order to produce life.  It is not too close nor too far but just rightly placed in distance from the sun as well as within our Milky Way Galaxy in order to produce and permit life.  We are placed within our galaxy in a specific place in order for us to see stellar constellations and Polaris (the North star) which act as navigation aids for man.  If the Earth were closer to the core of the galaxy there would be too much radiation and gravitational force from the black hole for life to exist. If it were on the outer edges of the spiral arm there would not be enough heavy elements to have formed our planet.  The Earth is the exact distance from the sun to maintain life.  Our sun is the exact size necessary for life here on Earth.  The Moon is the exact size (1/4 the size of the earth and the exact distance from the earth to create the exact right amount of gravitational pull necessary for the tides and ocean currents.   The moon's gravity is of the right strength to keep the earth's axis at a stable 23 degree angle while the earth's gravitational field is of the exact strength to keep the moon in its orbit.  The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon but also 400 times further away so they appear not only to be the same size but allow for the perfect solar eclipse. 
This type of explanation could go on for so long I couldn't possibly continue to write it all here!
There is much more to read about our amazing universe and defending the faith with precision starting with On Guard found at www.amazon.com.